Mrs. Jansonius - OES Counselor: Monthly Article

How To Get Your Children Away From TV

by Sheila Jansonius

November 01, 2007

How to Get Your Children Away from TV

Does it seem that the kids have forgotten what the garden looks like or the park across the street? Is their conversation dotted with TV show lingo and do they base their next week's schedule around what's on TV? And the big question - are your kids glued to the TV all the time? If so, time to take control and give them a new lease on life that does not revolve around the box.

1. Develop a TV reduction plan. Sit down together and plot TV viewing time. A good rule-of-thumb for TV watching is: No TV for children under the age of 2. One to two hours and no more per day for children aged over two. Also suitable for adults.

2. Turn it off. Only permit the TV to be on when the program is being watched.

3. Take TVs out of bedrooms. Just because a TV is affordable and keeps the kids out of your hair, does not mean that having TVs in bedrooms is acceptable. Bedrooms are for peace, rest and quiet play. TVs do not instill rest and peace, especially not kids' programs which are deliberately aimed at keeping kids interested through energizing them. Keep the TV in one central location only and somewhere that it is easy for you to monitor.

4. Don't use the TV/DVD/VCR in your vehicle for every trip. It's amazing how many parents rely on a DVD or VCR in their vehicle to keep the kids “quiet”. Road trips or car errands are a great time for kids to draw, read, talk with parents, listen to music, or just watch the surroundings out the window. Kids don't need to be entertained all the time. This can cause less imagination and short attention span.

5. Provide alternatives. Kids are learning about their world everyday. Make sure that most of their learning comes from self-experience and not from being told about things via the medium of TV. One word of warning - do not turn to the internet, video games, and other sources of electronic entertainment in it's place. Bring out those old board games, cards, and jigsaws to do together as a family.

6. Encourage outdoor and sporting activities. Be active together. Do a variety of things that encourage the kids to explore their world and see, touch, taste, smell and hear it for themselves, senses that no TV program can ever truly stimulate or replicate.

7. Set a good example. It cannot go without saying that your behavior matters. What you do will demonstrate to the kids what is okay to do. You will not only be setting your kids a great example but you'll be doing yourself a favor too. Just see how much more time emerges in your day when you restrict the TV viewing.

8. Remember- TV, computer, and/or video games should be in moderation and with clear limits. Monitor what they are viewing and make sure the content is quality.

Adapted from wikihow.com article